Parker 51 value

[edteach]

I was at a flea market today and picked up a Parker 51 Special. Its in 99 percent condition. Silver color cap with black jewel Black barrel. I checked the sack before I bought it and it was good. I paid 20 bucks for it and the sack seems OK. I have been working on cleaning out the old dry ink. Its running clear now and I am soaking the nib in water. From what I have read the special was a lower priced Parker 51. I think I did OK. The nib in in very good condition.

[Laurie]

Hi. The special was in fact the cheaper of the 51s and mostly came with an octanium nib (steel) but it appears some of the 51 specials in the 60's came with a 14 k gold nib. Not sure how you determine the age of the Parkers. The following good fact sheet should contain all the info you need

http://parker51.com/index.php/education/faq/

[pajaro]

Depending on condition, it should be worth upwards of $50 US.

[Hawk]

You did alright. I enjoy 51's because they are built like a 'brick s-------e' and very reliable for every day usage.

[welch]

You did great. The octanium nibs seem to have survived well, even though they are 60 - 70 years old. Legend says that Parker put more tipping on the octanium nibs to compensate for having given less effort to finishing the octanium nibs than their polished gold nibs. I forget Parker's marketing term for the gold nibs...micro-polished? micro-finished? The result is that a typical P-51 nib will be a little more worn down than a 51 Special nib.

So says the legend, and who am I to dispute a legend?

[christof]

Yes, good deal.
I have one with octanium nib in daily use. It's one of my best writing P"51".
C.

[stub]

Specials are great. I actually somewhat prefer the hoop filler. $20 is a good score.

[dadbar]

Truth in advertising. The Parker 51 Special really IS special. It is one of my absolute favorite pens. I have one of the octanium ones....it is a superb writer. It stays inked on my desk at work permanently.

[FredRydr]

...I have one of the octanium ones....it is a superb writer....
What are the octanium models?

Fred

[Chrissy]

I believe that Parker decided to make the 51 Special, as a slightly less expensive version of the 51, with an octanium nib as standard, rather than a gold nib. I once read a post that suggested the fillers were imprinted as '51 Special'

However, over the years people have replaced broken gold nibs with octanium nibs in Parker 51 pens. So some, like me, have a Parker 51 with an octanium nib. One day I will get myself a gold nib but so far I haven't done that.

[pajaro]

I have a 51 desk pen that is a Special, hoop filler and octanium niib. Black pen.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have a 51 Special terrific pen. Paid between $40-$50 for it on ebay. Which seems to be pretty common I believe price point. So paying $20 is pretty darn good.

[FredRydr]

Okay, unless octanium was knocked off the periodic table since the P51 days, it seems "octanium" was an attempt to establish a name for nibs that weren't gold (steel or mystery alloy?). Research indicates the name has greater recognition as an octane-boosting additive.

I'm not a Parker collector, but it's fun to learn tidbits like this.

Fred

[pajaro]

Okay, unless octanium was knocked off the periodic table since the P51 days, it seems "octanium" was an attempt to establish a name for nibs that weren't gold (steel or mystery alloy?). Research indicates the name has greater recognition as an octane-boosting additive.

I'm not a Parker collector, but it's fun to learn tidbits like this.

Fred

Octanium is Parker's name for an eight-metal alloy. It is basically steel. It's easy to see how this gets lost in discussions.

[CeeElle]

Nothing like a bit of 'feel good' marketing to go along with a budget option 51. I find the octanium nibs write just as well as their gold 51 cousins.

[stub]

i had a first year 51 Special. It was an outstanding pen. There was a moment when I was overwhelmed with the number of pens that I had a sold it in a purge to simplify and reduce. Unnecessary and dumb on my part. I regret it now. It was a sweet wet reliable writer that was better than some of the 51s I kept. I like the hoop filler.